Although it has yet to overtake cricket in terms of popularity, football has attracted a following among young people if the crowds at sports grounds in the garrison city is anything to go by. At Ayub National Park, three football grounds have been built that attract young athletes, mostly between the ages of six and 23.

Past the main entrance of the park on Jhelum Road, girls and boys in football kits can be seen playing and being trained by professional footballers.

Among these are under-16 players who are being trained to handle a football, according to Sana Mehmood – the captain of the Pakistan women’s national football team between 2010 and 2012.

She said children were better at grasping techniques than older players. “But most people bring their children to get them away from computer games,” she added. She said the mother of one of her students, who is a regular player, brought her child to because he has asthma and required the physical exercise.

Mohammad Naeem, another parent, said he brings his son to the grounds so he can learn the sport’s techniques from professionals. However, he added that the fee for the lessons and to use the ground was expensive. “The club charges Rs2,500 per month per child, and there is no free time for children,” he said.

Another parent, Mrs Ahmed Malik, said her daughter is interested in football but there was nowhere girls could play or receive training. “After the new grounds were constructed at Ayub Park, I thanked God my daughter could fulfil her dream.”

Saad Raza, 7, said he enjoyed coming to the grounds for football, but was not pleased with the timing of the lessons because he had to sleep in the evenings on Friday.

Another player, Fawad Ali, 15, said the ground’s location is convenient for him because it is close enough to his home to walk, and he chose to train in the evenings so he could receive training from professionals.

According to the director of sports and security at the Army Heritage Foundation, retired Col Shahzad Mehmood, the football grounds with Astroturf are the only football fields in Rawalpindi city. “These are mini football fields with seven-a-side format,” he explained.

He said both girls and boys are taking an interest in sports and enjoying the activities. “We are working to bring more surprises for the youth, [and] develop sports such as hockey and volleyball.”

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2016